“There’s going to be a cannabis company that looks more like Monsanto,” Martin said in an interview with Insider, referring to the agricultural and chemical company best known for genetically modified crops.
By that, he means companies that want to dominate the emerging industry will need to create cannabis strains with specific genetic profiles that give users the desired taste, smell, and psychoactive effects — and be sure that the product can be replicated consistently across different markets.
Martin said that cannabis consumers, at least according to Aurora’s sales in Canada and market data, prefer their pot with specific chemical profiles.
Martin said companies that are able to bring their intellectual property, like seeds or synthesis techniques, into new states will have an easier time taking advantage of new markets.
Despite all the attention and capital flowing to more novel consumption methods like beverages and vapes, cannabis consumers still prefer regular old marijuana.